December 3, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Online MS ‘Toolkit’ Created by University Psychologist to Help in Managing Pain and Fatigue Researchers at the University of Michigan developed an online tool to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage some of the more life-affecting symptoms of their disease. Called My MSToolkit, the tool is a free and web-based, self-guided program based on behavioral healthcare. It’s designed to help in managing…
November 15, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Weill Neurohub Unites 3 Academic Centers with DOE Scientists to Advance Tools, Treatments for MS and Other Ills Three academic research institutions launched the Weill Neurohub initiative, an effort to speed the discovery and development of therapies for neurological diseases that include multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and for psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. The initiative unites three West Coast…
November 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD 7T MRI Reveals New Insights into Some RRMS Features With the help of 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), investigators discovered that leptomeningeal enhancement — a radiographic finding indicative of brain inflammation — is more common than previously thought in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and is tied to lesions in specific regions of the brain.
November 13, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Single Dose of CD45-ADC Resets the Immune System, Delays the Onset of MS in Mice A single dose of CD45-ADC, an investigational targeted therapy being developed to treat different types of autoimmune diseases, is enough to reset the normal function of the body’s immune system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and to delay onset of the disease. Those findings…
October 22, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Long-term Gilenya Treatment Safe and Effective for Relapsing MS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Shows Long-term treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is safe and effective, results from a Phase 3 trial show. Trial findings were reported in the study, “Extended treatment with fingolimod for relapsing multiple sclerosis: the 14-year LONGTERMS study results,” published in…
October 10, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Ills Like Depression, Hypertension More Common in MS Patients Than Others in US, Blue Cross Report Finds Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S. are three times more likely to have mental or behavioral health issues, including depression and substance abuse (substance use disorder), than the general population, a report based on commercial insurance claims by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) found. All…
October 8, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Structure and Workings of Receptor Tied to Inflammation and Cell Death Seen for First Time Scientists observed for the first time the molecular structure of the P2X 7 receptor, a protein that plays a key role in cell death, inflammation, and cancer progression. This breakthrough could lead to new ways of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), coronary artery disease, cancer, and inflammation. The findings…
October 3, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Acthar Gel Eases MS Flare-up Symptoms After Two Months of Treatment, Observational Study Shows Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) eased flare-up symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experiencing relapses, top-line data from an observational registry study shows. Acthar Gel, a medication developed and marketed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, is a compound that enhances the production of steroids in the…
October 1, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD FeetMe Raises €9.4M to Advance Gait and Posture Technology for Patients with Movement Disorders FeetMe, a medical device company dedicated to the development of devices and digital health services to improve patients’ mobility, has raised €9.4 million ($10.25 million) in Series A funding to boost the commercialization of its innovative technology for clinical trials and regular clinical practice in hospitals and…
September 13, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 — Eliminating SARM1 Protects Neurons in Mouse Model of MS Eliminating SARM1, an enzyme that plays a key role in nerve cell degeneration, protects neurons in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a condition that mimics the key pathological features of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans. The preclinical findings were presented by researchers at Disarm Therapeutics in a…
September 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 — Biogen Presents New Real-world Data Demonstrating Clinical Benefits of Tysabri, Plegridy, and Avonex Biogen is presenting new data highlighting the potential clinical benefits of Tysabri (natalizumab), Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a), and Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for the treatment of specific groups of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), including pregnant women and patients with relapsing forms of the disease. The new…
September 10, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD NervGen Planning Clinical Trials of NVG-291, Peptide That Might Promote Myelin Repair NervGen Pharma announced plans to open clinical trials evaluating the potential of its lead candidate NVG-291 to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury. NVG-291 is an investigational peptide that has shown an ability to stimulate nerve regeneration following an injury in several animal models of disease.
September 6, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Oral Ozanimod More Effective Than Avonex in Lowering Annual Relapses in MS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Finds Oral ozanimod is more effective at reducing the frequency of relapses than Avonex (interferon beta-1a) in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and does so with reasonable safety, results of Phase 3 trial show. These findings were described in the study, “Safety and efficacy of ozanimod…
September 5, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Sandoz Enters Agreement with Polpharma Biologics to Develop and Commercialize Tysabri Biosimilar Sandoz, a division of Novartis dedicated to the development of biosimilars, has entered an agreement with Polpharma Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company also dedicated to the manufacture of biosimilars, to develop and market a biosimilar to Biogen‘s Tysabri (natalizumab). Tysabri is a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that was …
August 29, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Role of SARM1 Enzyme, Key Player in Neurodegeneration, Detailed in Studies Two new studies delve into the structure of SARM1, an enzyme that plays a key role in nerve cell degeneration, and are expected to aid the development of targeted therapies for neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and peripheral neuropathies. SARM1…
August 21, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Immune System Molecule IL-17A Likely Inflammatory Agent in RRMS, Study Says Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a molecule that mediates immune and inflammatory responses, likely promotes inflammation and tissue damage in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and should be considered a potential target for treating the disease, a study reports. The findings of the study, “IL-17A is associated with the breakdown of the…
August 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD US Agency Asked to OK Cannabinoid Shipments from Canada to Support Studies in MS, MMJ Announces MMJ International Holdings, a pharmaceutical company whose focus is plant-derived cannabis products for therapeutic purposes, has requested permission to ship tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) from Canada to the U.S. to be used in upcoming clinical trials for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease. MMJ-001…
August 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD SyntheticMR’s Software Package Capable of Quickly Measuring Myelin in Brain Available in US SyntheticMR‘s SyMRI NEURO, a software package that can segment and measure myelin volume in the brain, is now available for use by radiologists in the U.S. through an agreement with Siemens Healthineers and its syngo.via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization platform, a press release states. SyMRI NEURO’s integrated software package…
August 8, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Medical Marijuana Now Available to MS and Other Patients in Louisiana Medical cannabis products, jointly developed by GB Sciences Louisiana (GBSL) and the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center‘s (LSU AgCenter) Therapeutic Cannabis Program, are now available for purchase by qualified patients with illnesses that include multiple sclerosis (MS) at nine state-licensed pharmacies. The decision, announced by the Louisiana…
August 5, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Under-the-skin CBD Infusion With Valeritas’ h-Patch Device Prolongs Therapy Effects, Study Finds Valeritas Holdings‘ proprietary h-Patch device can be used to administer cannabidiol by an under-the-skin (subcutaneous) infusion, prolonging the time the medication remains in circulation in the body and maximizing its therapeutic effects, a preclinical study has found. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabis-derived, purified liquid formulation that has…
August 1, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Rutgers Health Leading Program to Support MS Children Rutgers Health is leading the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases Program, the only program in the state of New Jersey designed specifically to support children with multiple sclerosis (MS). The support program seeks to promote children’s access to cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials, and to educate…
July 31, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD 3D Imaging of Brain Lesions May Spot Those Most Likely to Heal, Guiding Treatment A new diagnostic method for multiple sclerosis (MS) that uses 3D analysis of a patient’s brain may be able to tell physicians which lesions there are more likely to heal with time and which are not, and as such could be a game-changer in treating the disease, according to the…
July 26, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS MindShift Campaign Uses Balloon Festival to Raise Awareness About MS Brain Health Celgene and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) are working together to bring the “MS MindShift: A New View of MS” campaign, which is raising awareness about the importance of brain health in multiple sclerosis (MS), to the 37th Annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning…
July 17, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Phase 1 Trial of T20K, Plant Protein-derived Therapy for MS, Doses 1st Group of Healthy Men A first group of healthy volunteers in a Phase 1 trial assessing the safety and tolerability of T20K, Cyxone‘s plant protein-derived candidate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), has been dosed in a study taking place in The Netherlands, the company announced. T20K is an investigational…
July 16, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD 3-D Brain Models of PPMS and Parkinson’s Off to Space Station for Research in Microgravity The National Stem Cell Foundation announced the start of a pioneering project to investigate the impact of microgravity on the neurodegeneration associated with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. The project, a collaboration between the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute, the Summit for Stem Cell, and investigators with Aspen Neuroscience, will send 3-D brain organoids derived from patients with these disorders, for a first time, to the International Space Station on SpaceX CRS-18. This flight, set to launch on July 21 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is a test run for a 30-day study of neurodegeneration in microgravity set to take place on the space station this fall. "The National Stem Cell Foundation is delighted to be funding innovative science at the frontier of new drug and cell therapy discovery. The leading-edge research findings that have developed through this collaboration between important research groups may fundamentally alter our understanding of how and why neurodegeneration occurs," Paula Grisanti, chief executive officer of the NSCF, said in a press release. These organoids, or 3-D cellular brain models, contain microglia — cells that normally support and protect neurons. Microglia are implicated in the brain inflammation and disease progression seen in people with Parkinson's, PPMS, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The project will allow scientists in the near absence of gravity to study how these cells interact with each other, migrate, send and receive chemical signals, change their genetic signature, and promote brain inflammation. As such, investigators may get a glimpse of all the biological mechanisms involved in PPMS and Parkinson's in ways not feasible on Earth. This work might lead to understandings and advancements with a direct impact on the development of medicines and cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Space Tango is leading the transport and maintenance logistics, to ensure the cells arrive at the ISS in the best possible condition and remain viable during the 30 days they will remain in orbit. To that end, the company has developed a series of automated systems intended to surpass conventional lab techniques, and allow space station researchers to work with a higher number of samples than typical, and use high-throughput techniques to easily analyze them. According to the company, these automated systems are not intended exclusively for research on the ISS, but may also be used by research facilities worldwide to support and accelerate scientific innovation. "The vision the National Stem Cell Foundation brings to using new approaches to science and creating collaborations between leading experts in Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis from across the country is truly unique," said Jana Stoudemire, commercial innovation officer at Space Tango. "In addition to supporting the development of tissue chip platforms for microgravity, Space Tango is excited to expand capabilities for human 3-D brain organoid models that will assist in studying some of the most challenging diseases we have yet to truly understand," Stoudemire added. "We are very pleased to support this important research on the ISS."
July 15, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD CMSC Opens Weeklong Mental Health Program to Help Mentor and Train MS Specialists The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), working with the Foundation of the CMSC (FCMSC) and EMD Serono, launched a new Mental Health Mini-Mentorship Program to help clinicians better understand the psychological and mental health challenges that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) face on a…
July 12, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Study Examines Gadolinium Deposits in MS Patients’ Brains, But Still Can’t Determine Relationship with Disease Severity The use of gadodiamide, a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) often used to help clinicians visualize brain structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, leads to the accumulation of gadolinium in certain regions of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients’ brains early in the course of the disease, a study has found.
June 28, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Mavenclad Continues to Demonstrate Sustained Efficacy, Safety in Patients with Relapsing Forms of MS, Post-hoc Analyses Show Mavenclad (cladribine) tablets continue to show sustained efficacy and consistent safety in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), post-hoc analyses of a Phase 3 trial extension study show. The findings are set to be presented in several posters during the 5th Congress of the European…
June 27, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Progressive MS Patients Have Difficulties Perceiving Thoughts, Intentions of Others, Study Reveals Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) have difficulties perceiving the thoughts and intentions, but not the emotions, of other individuals, Kessler Foundation researchers have found. Those findings were reported in a study, “Cognitive but Not Affective Theory of Mind Deficits in Progressive MS,” that was published in…
June 24, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Healthcare Needs ‘Particularly High’ in Children and Teens with MS, Study Finds The burden in treating children with multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of hospitalizations and doctor visits is extremely high, especially in the first year after diagnosis, a study from Canada reports. The study, “High rates of health care utilization in pediatric multiple sclerosis: A Canadian population-based study,”…